Feb 13, 2013

Steve Cole Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0918 stephen e cole@nasa gov

D C Agle Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif 818-393-9011 agle@jpl nasa gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M13-031

NASA TO CHRONICLE CLOSE EARTH FLYBY OF ASTEROID

PASADENA, Calif -- NASA Television will provide commentary starting at 2 p m EST (11 a m PST) on Friday, Feb 15, during the close, but safe, flyby of a small near-Earth asteroid named 2012 DA14 NASA places a high priority on tracking asteroids and protecting our home planet from them This flyby will provide a unique opportunity for researchers to study a near-Earth object up close

The half-hour broadcast from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif , will incorporate real-time animation to show the location of the asteroid in relation to Earth, along with live or near real-time views of the asteroid from observatories in Australia, weather permitting

At the time of its closest approach to Earth at approximately 2:25 p m EST (11:25 a m PST/ 19:25 UTC), the asteroid will be about 17,150 miles (27,600 kilometers) above Earth's surface

The commentary will be available via NASA TV and streamed live online at:

http://www nasa gov/ntv

and

http://www ustream tv/nasajpl2

In addition to the commentary, near real-time imagery of the asteroid's flyby before and after closest approach, made available to NASA by astronomers in Australia and Europe, weather permitting, will be streamed beginning at about noon EST (9 a m PST) and continuing through the afternoon at the following website:

http://www ustream tv/nasajpl2

A Ustream feed of the flyby from a telescope at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala , will be streamed for three hours starting at 9 p m EST (8 p m CST) To view the feed and ask researchers questions about the flyby via Twitter, visit:

http://www ustream tv/channel/nasa-msfc

The NASA Near Earth Objects (NEO) Program at the agency's headquarters in Washington, manages and funds the search, study, and monitoring of NEOs, or asteroids and comets, whose orbits periodically bring them close to the Earth NASA's study of NEOs provides important clues to understanding the origin of our solar system The objects also are a repository of natural resources and could become waystations for future exploration In collaboration with other external organizations, one of the program's key goals is to search and hopefully mitigate potential NEO impacts on Earth JPL conducts the NEO program's technical and scientific activities

For more information, including graphics and animations showing the flyby of 2012 DA14, visit:

www nasa gov/asteroidflyby

For more information about asteroids and near-Earth objects, visit:

http://www jpl nasa gov/asteroidwatch

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